SHIP REPORT
THE LAuNCH CEREMONy Of DEME’S 3,500M3 LNG-POWERED TRAILING SuCTION HOPPER DREDGER (TSHD) MINERvA TOOK PLACE ON 3 DECEMBER 2016 AT ROyAL IHC’s shipyard in Kinderdijk, the Netherlands. The official naming and christening ceremony will take place in the spring of 2017 in Zeebrugge, Belgium.
TSHD Minerva Launched
TSHD Scheldt River Launched
According to Arjan Klijnsoon, ICH’s Executive Director Shipbuilding, ICH started looking into the possibilities of integrating LNG into dredging vessels in 2012. He states: “The launch of this vessel is an important milestone for the dredging industry. We are proud to have made a huge step forward in dredger design and to be able to limit the environmental impact of DEME’s vessels.” Alain Bernard, Director and CEO DEME Group explains that DEME wants to continuously innovate ecologically as well as improve efficiency. He elucidates: “DEME’s multi-year fleet expansion programme is focused on increasing efficiency, both in terms of productivity and environmental performance. To further optimise fuel consumption and reduce emissions, IHC has equipped this vessel with an innovative propulsion drive and bow thruster tunnel. Research into fuel saving and analysis of operational profiles has resulted in the development of a two-speed propulsion drive. In contrast to conventional singlespeed propulsion, the IHC-patented twospeed gearbox ensures fuel savings when sailing at lower speeds. Another innovation is the newly developed wing-shaped bow thruster tunnel. This new shape is the result of hydrodynamic analyses and improves the bow thruster performance.
The launch ceremony of DEME’s 7,950m3 dual fuel trailing suction hopper dredger (TSHD) – Scheldt River – took place on 14 January at Royal IHC’s shipyard in Krimpen aan den Ijssel in the Netherlands. “After the successful launch of the world’s first LNG-powered hopper Minerva on 3 December, I am delighted to see the launch of the Scheldt River– the second IHC-built TSHD capable of operating on LNG,” says Klijnsoon. Alain Bernard highlights: “Both the Scheldt River and Minerva comply with the strictest international and local environmental regulations.”
The Bonny River Royal ICH will design, construct and deliver the Bonny River, a multifunctional dredging vessel, to DEME in Belgium. The 15,000m3 trailing suction hopper dredger (TSHD), named after the Nigerian river, will be supplied with an extended suction pipe and an additional suction pipe with heavy-duty rock draghead, enabling the vessel to operate in hard soil areas. The Bonny River will be the first vessel in
Since a TSHD operates in a totally different way from other vessels, such as container vessels, the following main challenges had to be overcome in order to use LNG for the dredgers. Ship design LNG requires about two to three times more storage space than regular fuel. This has a significant impact on the design and the configuration of the vessel. Load variations Drive trains in TSHDs are subjected to several load variations. This is due to the many different operational conditions, changing from dredging, manoeuvring and unloading to sailing full speed ahead. The strong load variations are challenging for dual-fuel LNG engines. Safety LNG comes with extremely strict safety regulations and certifications. Meeting all these regulations and complying with all the safety requirements adds extra complexity to the design process. Availability LNG is not as widely available as regular marine fuels. for this reason, dual-fuel engines are used, enabling the customer to sail on both LNG as well as regular marine fuel. The vessel can operate worldwide.
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TSHD Minerva afloat alongside Royal IHC’s shipyard in Kinderdijk, the Netherlands.
Green and Clean The dual-fuel (diesel and LNG) dredger has a ‘Green Passport’ and a ‘Clean Design’ notation, complying with and even exceeding the strictest international emission requirements. The availability of the vessel has also increased since it meets the requirements for the extended drydocking system. Ships under this special programme get a maximum dry-dock interval of 7.5 years (instead of 5 years) by replacing certain dry-dockings with in-water surveys. Photo courtesy of Royal IHC
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